One of the main reasons we came to Colorado this time of year is to see the fall colors as the aspen (and a few other trees) change their colors. We have been on several hikes in our time here, but this post is to focus on a unique hike we did yesterday, the trail to Pavilion Point.
This hike starts in Silver Plume and follows the former route of the Argentine Central Railway. Nearly all remnants of the railroad have been removed, but the grade remains, and makes for an excellent hike since it never exceeds an incline of 6 degrees. It also runs right through plenty of aspen trees.
The Argentine Central was built in 1905 to make it easier to haul ore from the various silver mines along the route. Several mine shafts as well as mining equipment and tailings are visible right along the side of the trail.
This shaft looked large enough to get inside, but it’s filled with water. No thanks!
Mining equipment and tailings.
The tailings make for a clear spot to get an excellent view.
The hike to Pavilion Point is 2.8 miles each way. One of the by-products of the railroad being built was tourism, so a hotel was built at the top of Pavilion Point which has some excellent views. All that remains of the hotel is a chimney.
The view to the west from Pavilion Point. That’s the I-70 below.
This is a must hike if you are lucky enough to be here when the colors are changing. For reference, this hike was done on September 26.
The railroad ended up travelling to the top of Mt McClellan, which sits at 13,587′. Here is a historic photo of the train at the top.
This is what that same spot looks like today. I found this photo online. We have not made it up there as it’s only accessible by 4WD high clearance vehicles. Maybe when Tesla comes out with their pickup truck!
